Pittsburgh-area Man Sentenced for Supplying SCO Gang with Drugs

PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to five years' imprisonment and eight years' supervised release on his conviction of narcotics trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Chadlin Leavy, 32.

According to information presented to the Court, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force conducted a long-term investigation of drug trafficking occurring in and around the Braddock borough of Pittsburgh and identified several members and associates of a neighborhood-based street gang, self-titled "SCO" that were responsible for distributing controlled substances in Western Pennsylvania, including a defendant charged in a related case, Howard McFadden.

In January of 2019, investigators obtained authorization to conduct a federal wire investigation, which continued through May of 2019. Through the course of this investigation, the Court was informed that Leavy was identified as one of McFadden’s heroin and cocaine sources of supply. In April of 2019, law enforcement began intercepting communications over one of Leavy’s cell phones, which revealed that Leavy was conspiring with others, including co-defendants Marvin Porter, Larry Dandridge, Damien Franklin and Jared Eck, to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and marijuana in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Within that timeframe, Leavy conspired to distribute and distributed 585 grams of heroin, 1,526 grams of cocaine and 53 kilograms of marijuana.

The Court was advised that on several occasions, in March, April and May of 2019, law enforcement conducted surveillance in conjunction with intercepted communications and observed Leavy meeting with one of his co-conspirators to facilitate drug transactions. For example, on one occasion, the Court was informed that law enforcement stopped Leavy while he was in route to meet with his marijuana source of supply, Jared Eck, to purchase 25-30 pounds of marijuana from Eck for $30,000. Law enforcement located the $30,000 in the vehicle and seized it.

Additionally, the Court was advised that on June 12, 2019, law enforcement seized from Leavy’s residence a 2008 Mercedes Benz S550, $42,882, two pistols, one revolver and one Mossberg 500 shotgun, as well as related magazines and over 200 rounds of ammunition, high-end

jewelry, as well as several items used to facilitate his drug-trafficking activity.

In addition to the term of imprisonment and supervised release, the Court ordered the forfeiture of all of these items, including the $72,882.

Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Brady commended the multi-agency team, which was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wolford. Partners in this investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Other assisting agencies included the Monroeville Police Department, Penn Hills Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, and Allegheny County Adult Probation.

The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.